Attack the Block (2011)

A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.

Director:

Joe Cornish

Writer:

Joe Cornish

Stars:

John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 20 wins & 37 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jodie Whittaker	...	Sam
John Boyega	...	Moses
Alex Esmail	...	Pest
Leeon Jones	...	Jerome
Franz Drameh	...	Dennis
Simon Howard	...	Biggz
Maggie McCarthy	...	Margaret
Danielle Vitalis	...	Tia
Paige Meade	...	Dimples
Gina Antwi	...	Dionne
Natasha Jonas	...	Gloria
Sammy Williams	...	Probs
Michael Ajao	...	Mayhem
Luke Treadaway	...	Brewis
Flaminia Cinque	...	Italian Woman

Storyline

Attack the Block follows an unlucky young woman and a gang of tough inner city kids who make an unlikely alliance to try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an intergalactic war-zone.

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Plot Keywords:

eaten alive | green blood | pheromones | marijuana joint | tower block | 

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Taglines:

Inner City vs. Outer Space

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for creature violence, drug content and pervasive language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 2011 (UK)

Also Known As:

Napad na kvart

Filming Locations:

Three Mills Studios, Three Mill Lane, Bow, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,133,859 (United Kingdom), 15 May 2011, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$137,580, 31 July 2011, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,024,175, 25 September 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Gems, StudioCanal, Film4

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (DTS Digital Surround) SDDS (uncredited) Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Members of the gang compare the film's aliens to various fantastical creatures, all British in origin, namely: Dobby the house-elf from J.K. Rowling's series of Harry Potter novels; Gollum from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien; and Gremlins, who while they are now best-known for the two American films by Joe Dante, were born out of the imagination of RAF fighter pilots during World War II, and were initially popularized by author Roald Dahl in his first novel.

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Goofs

Pest appears to have a magical backpack. As the gang pulls out and uses all of his fireworks, more magically appear a minute afterwards.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sam: [on phone] Hi mum!

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Connections

References America's Got Talent (2006)

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Soundtracks

Ire Feelings (Skanga)
Written by Rupie Edwards
Performed by Rupie Edwards
Courtesy of Sanctuary Records Group Ltd.
under license from Universal Music Operations Ltd.

User Reviews

Making the leap from "hi concept" to "cult classic"

First, this is the sort of flick the UK writers do so well and frankly don't do enough of.

Reminds me of the old saying, when Life gives you Lemons, make Lemonade.

London has blessed the UK film industry with one of the most diverse and interesting ecosystems on the planet. What, I have lost count, 14 distinct accents and counting? In return the industry has taken this raw material and produced a wide range of thrillers, most of which rely heavily for their impact on the violence element or the gang element.

So, who woke up one morning and said, hey, let's make the gang the good guys for a change ... instead of causing trouble they get to defend the country against aliens. And brimming with gang values, they will go it alone, they will not even ask for help.

Great premise, brilliant and engaging execution. It could have just been "merely" entertaining, but great writing, cast, acting and direction help it make the leap to cult classic.

The low IMDb rating is not merely wrong, it is seriously wrong. This is a fun film that can be watched more than once.